Whiteboard Archives

July 12, 2011 - 08:14PM

Share this story

GETTING PERSONAL?: President Barack Obama on Tuesday dismissed as “partisan politics” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s remark that his efforts to conclude a deficit and debt deal so far have produced only “smoke and mirrors.”

“I think what the American people are looking for is not that kind of partisan politics,” Obama said in an interview with CBS News. “What the American people are looking for is somebody to solve problems.”
Julie Mason has more on the president’s CBS interview here..

July 12, 2011 - 07:33PM

Share this story

THE BRUSH OFF?: White House press secretary Jay Carney issued a short statement late Tuesday reacting to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s new proposal to raise the debt ceiling in three increments over the remainder of this Congress unless lawmakers approve a veto-proof resolution of disapproval.

Carney’s statement:

"Senator McConnell’s proposal today reaffirmed what leaders of both parties have stated clearly, that defaulting on America’s past due bills is not an option. The President continues to believe that our focus must remain on seizing this unique opportunity to come to agreement on significant, balanced deficit reduction. As the President has said, 'If not now, when?' It is time for our leaders to find common ground and reduce our deficit in a way that will strengthen our economy.".

July 12, 2011 - 03:57PM

Share this story

HONORED IN THE EAST ROOM: President Obama has awarded the second Medal of Honor to a living veteran of the wars in Iraq in Afghanistan.

Speaking in the East Room of the White House, Obama said the medal's recipient, Sgt. First Class Leroy Arthur Petry, "showed that true heroes do exist" by saving his comrades from a grenade during a fight in Afghanistan -- an act of bravery that cost him his hand.

"Leroy lost a hand ... but he pushes on," Obama said.

July 12, 2011 - 02:36PM

Share this story

HONORED IN THE EAST ROOM: President Obama has awarded the second Medal of Honor to a living veteran of the wars in Iraq in Afghanistan.

Speaking in the East Room of the White House, Obama said the medal's recipient, Sgt. First Class Leroy Arthur Petry, "showed that true heroes do exist" by saving his comrades from a grenade during a fight in Afghanistan -- an act of bravery that cost him his hand.

July 12, 2011 - 02:03PM

Share this story

JAY-TALKING: Here’s what you need to know from Tuesday’s deficit-heavy White House briefing with press secretary Jay Carney:

-- While he stayed characteristically vague on the deficit negotiations, Carney said that “we’re in the matter-of-days phase of these negotiations.”

-- Echoing Hillary Clinton’s disapproval of Syria’s president, Carney said Bashar al-Assad “is not indispensable” and that he has “lost his legitimacy” — the same tone the White House has taken against Muammar Qadhafi in Libya.

-- The White House condemns the murder of Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s brother, Carney said, reading a statement from the lectern. He said the United States doesn’t know who was responsible and is working with the Afghan authorities.

-- The Justice Department is reviewing a federal appeals court order to end the enforcement of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Carney said..

July 12, 2011 - 12:28PM

Share this story

CARNEY BRIEFS: White House press secretary Jay Carney says the Justice Department is reviewing a recent order on "don't ask, don't tell." He says President Obama's position on the policy is "very clear."

Carney is asked why Obama hasn't called for Bashar al-Assad to step down in Syria. Carney replies that he already said and Hillary Clinton said this morning that "President Assad has lost his legitimacy." (1:44 p.m.)

Carney gives his last question to Les Kinsolving: Will Obama support Maryland giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition? "I'm not aware of that issue, Lester," Carney replies.

And that's it. (1:45 p.m.)

More on the deficit, after the jump ...

.

FROM THE TOP -- White House press secretary Jay Carney starts his briefing by commenting on the weather. It's hot. On to questions:

The debt limit is, unsurprisingly, the first topic. Carney says the issues must be resolved "together" with Congress. "If we were to default on our obligations, who suffers? Democrats, Republicans or Americans? Americans suffer," Carney says. (12:55 p.m.)

Carney, who by the way isn't wearing his usual glasses, says the deficit negotiations need to move outside their "comfort zone" to reach a deal. "This president's going to be in office for at least another 18 months, and I think the American people expect the Congress to work with him," he says.

"There has to be a compromise," Carney says. (12:57 p.m.)

President Obama didn't hear Mitch McConnell's floor speech because he was in meetings, Carney says.

Asked for a more specific reaction to McConnell's speech, Carney says just that the parties need to work together, and that congressional leaders are meeting in the Roosevelt Room today to continue talks. (12:59 p.m.)

White House press secretary Jay Carney gives a sort of time frame for the deficit talks: "We're in the matter-of-days phase of these negotiations."

The topic changes to Syria. Carney says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "is not indispensable" and that he has "lost legitimacy by refusing to lead the transition." (1:05 p.m.)

Carney describes some of the tone inside the debt negotiations at the White House -- he says they've been "frank and constructive and not highly contentious, at all."

But, he says, "that doesn’t mean there aren’t disagreements."

"We will not get from here to there, either side, if we heed only the calls of our most ideological supporters," he says. "We have to acknowledge that maximalist positions will not prevail." (1:13 p.m.)

White House press secretary Jay Carney warns that taking a long time to reach a deal on the deficit could be detrimental to "markets." He says that "Congress tends to push these things up to the very last minute," and "while that's inconvenient ... it is the way things happen."

"In this case, it's more than inconvenient," because the idea that Congress "will not act in time could have an effect on markets," he says. (1:19 p.m.)

The deficit questions continue for White House press secretary Jay Carney, who says a deal "only gets done if we act together."

"It doesn't mean that every minute of every meeting is highly productive," he says. "It doesn't have to be pleasant for it to be essential." He quickly adds that he's not implying that the negotiations haven't been "unpleasant." (1:23 p.m.)

Asked if President Obama won't be leaving town as long as a deficit deal isn't reached, White House press secretary Jay Carney says Obama won't be going anywhere. "I think he's made clear that we're going to meet every day until this is done," Carney says.

Carney says that to most Americans, the debt ceiling debate "sounds like gobbledegook."

Asked about Obama's lunch with CEOs today, Carney says they might talk about the debt limit but the topic is jobs. (1:30 p.m.)

White House press secretary Jay Carney is asked about President Obama's comments to CBS that Social Security checks might be in jeopardy. "It was an answer to a question," Carney says.

In an overture to his press corps, Carney notes that Obama has "spent a lot of time taking questions lately." (He's had two press conferences in two weeks.) (1:33 p.m.)

White House press secretary Jay Carney says he's not going to "read out the dialogue from the meetings" on the deficit negotiations.

"There has been progress in that the -- more people now are aware of what the playing field looks like, where the compromises can be found," Carney says. (1:38 p.m.)

"Time is running out, ladies and gentlemen," Carney adds. "We need to put that absolutism aside, leave it at the door, and get to the hard work." (1:40 p.m.)

White House press secretary Jay Carney reads a statement from the lectern when asked about the death of President Hamid Karzai's brother in Afghanistan.

"Our prayers and sympathies are with the Karzai family," Carney says, adding that the White House "condemns in the strongest possible terms the murder."

The United States doesn't know who was responsible and is working with the Afghan authorities, Carney says. (1:41 p.m.)

July 12, 2011 - 10:16AM

Share this story

SHIPPING OUT: The Obama administration says Tuesday's report on exports shows that the economy is growing, but, as President Obama said last week, "we still have a way to go."

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a statement that while exports dipped half a percent from April to May, "exports have been growing at a strong pace overall in the first five months of 2011."

"Accelerating job growth remains a priority for this Administration and we will continue to provide our businesses with the necessary tools to compete and win globally and create more American jobs," said Locke, whom Obama has designated as the next ambassador to China. "As we move closer to reaching the President’s goal of doubling exports by 2015, the Obama Administration will continue to help businesses reach the 95 percent of consumers who live outside our borders.".

July 12, 2011 - 04:49AM

Share this story

SAME STORY: The deficit negotiations continue at the White House on Tuesday, as President Obama hosts congressional leaders again in the Cabinet Room in the late afternoon. First, though, Obama will give the Medal of Honor to Leroy Arthur Petry in an East Room ceremony, making the sergeant first class the second living veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to get the honor..